Cruising on Friday!!!!!

I can't believe our cruise is on Friday. I have been so busy at work and busy trying to get ready for the trip that I have not had a second to blog.

It is so weird though - we booked our cruise in Oct 2006. It seems like forever ago. And guess what, we started TTC in Oct 2006. That seems like forever ago as well.

I rememeber when we first thought about the trip. It is a big family vacation, so we had to look at a lot of schedules.

When we decided on a time, the first thing that came to mind is, "Will it be fun to have a baby on the cruise?" At the time we booked it, I seriously thought I would have at least a 6 month old and I really thought I would be pregnant again.

Funny how niave I was back in Oct 2006.

So, here it is 18 months later and not only do I not have a baby, but I am not pregnant, either.

I really need this vacation, as I am sure all of us do. I just hope we have a great time.

Added labels to everything

Someone who reads my blog suggested that I add labels to each post - this way it would be easier to find related posts. Good idea.

So, I went back and put labels on each and every post - and I guess it will be much easier going forward.

I also added the links to the right hand side of this blog.

No big win for me :(

I lost all but $4 that I broght with me to Atlantic City. I know you have to think that you are coming home with no money, but most people are hopeful that they will gome home winning SOMETHING.

On another note, last week I posted that my AC trip would fall on CD 13, 14, & 15. Last month I got a postive OPK on day 19 and 20, so if I ovulated it was propably on CD 19. I was hoping that it would be the same this month......especially since I would not be around on CD 13,14 & 15.

So, I took a OPK on the 11th and 12th....maybe it is the brand, because it seems like it is possibly positive most of the time. I am using the Answer Strip OPKs. I am actually using the answer and a cheapie internet one. Well, on CD 12 I got what looked like a possible positive OPK (lines looked to be the same color) on the Answer and a clearly negative on the internet cheapie (used the same "sample") - so to be on the safe side, we DTD on Thursday (CD12).

I got the same results on CD13, 14, & 15 - so either the Answer brand is just really sensitive and has hard to tell negatives or the cheapies ones are crappy.

Last month when I got the very positive OPK on the answer.....it was a very obvious positive. So, I will still do OPKs until both the Answer Brand and the Internet Cheapie are both the same result.

If you don't hear from me again......

It is because I hit it big in Atlantic City!!!! Just kidding, I mean how much could I really win playing $0.05 slots.

Every year my sisters and I take my mom "away" for the weekend. In previous years, it has been to CT and the casinos there. One of my sisters used to live there so it made sense.

That sister has moved back home and now we are doing the casinos in AC instead. It works out really well because my parents have a house less than 30 minutes from AC.

So, we are going down today after work and coming home on Sunday sometime. It will be nice to have a girls weekend! :)

Sad Day

A woman that I know lost her son today. He was one of her triplets. He was taken too soon. He only lived a few short months.

But, in those short months, he was one of the most loved baby boys in the whole wide world.

I will pray for her and her family every day.

The Last Day of the Year

Today is the last day of the year. The year has gone by so fast. As always, I still have no plans for tonight. We had about 10 different types of plans, but nothing was ever set in stone.

A house party, going to a "club", dinner, etc. But, none of those things really went anywhere. I am hoping that Frank hears something at work today. Otherwise, it is Happy New Year in my living room.

It's not like I NEED to go out, it's just fun to do so. I can't really do anything super crazy - I have to leave tomorrow at 9:30 am to get Colin. He has been away almost a week at his father's house. I miss him so much. Evertime I pick him up, he looks different to me...like he grew a foot or something.

Colin only sees his father twice a year. The week between Christmas and New Years, and then a week in either July or August. This is not my choice, but, his father has always been a jackass so I guess the lack of visits should not be a surprise. Whatever.

I may add to this post later - in the mean time.......HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Amy got ran over by a reindeer

Sing it....Amy got ran over by a reindeer, driving home from family's house Christmas Eve.....



Yup, I hit a deer driving home from my IL's house on Christmas Eve. This was about 10 minutes AFTER I avoided hitting a HUGE deer.



I don't know if I killed the deer, it was not on the side of the road....so, if it did die, it died in the woods.



Luckily, there is not too much damage to the car, and we are all OK. But, it damaged the side panel, the bumper, the hood, and broke the headlight that I just replaced. So, I am sure it will not be cheap to fix.



Here is a picture (PS - that is not mud on the side of the car. Apprently, that is deer snot!):

Gift Cards and Shopping

OK, like I posted before, I am not happy with the quantity of the gifts for Colin this year. He is getting a few high ticket items. So, that means not as many.

So, I have been buying stupid non-gifts things that I would have bought anyway, but will wait until Christmas until he gets them (socks, underwear, etc)

So, I got a $50 AMEX gift card from my boss, I spent the entire thing on more gifts for Colin to put under the tree.

A bunch of little things like a cheat code book for his video games ($5); Magic cards - 3 Packs ($4 each, total $12); DVD/CD tower ($20); Pez for the stocking with refills ($3); Track Pants - 2 pair ($12.00).

I really don't need anything anyway. Besides, I would rather he has a nice Christmas than me buying myself a cute purse or something.

Although he does not believe in Santa anymore, he is still a little kid.

1400 Cookies

Yep, you read that right. 1400 cookies.

Every year my sisters and I have a cookie baking marathon. We go to my parents house and bake all day. We always lke to set a goal of 100 dozen. This year we made 119 dozen so that is a little over 1400 cookies.

We have been doing this for god knows how long. And every year we give them all away. OK - maybe we keep a few for ourselves, but the majority of them are given to others. People at work, neighbors, in-laws, etc.

I love the fact that all my sisters get together to do this. We do a lot as a family and I would not have it any other way.

By the end of the night we are exhausted and my parents house if DIRTY....mom is in charge of cleaning, we are in charge of baking.

Let me tell you, though - I hated that hout long frive home at almost 11 pm last night!!!

101 Things in 1001 Days

OK - I guess I am a bit of a copy cat. I was thinking about my "list" and went to my good friend , Google, for help. I can't rememeber exactly what I searched for, but a bunch of "101 things to do in 1001" days came up. So, I decided to look into it.

A lot of what I found were lists of actual things to do or buy or try. But, when I started my list, a lot of my "items" are not so specific. But, I am OK with that. Heck, it is MY list.

This is a description of what the 101 Things to do in 1001 days is all about:

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?: Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

So, I have started my own list. I am about 1/2 way there to 101. So, here goes.....(in no particular order)

101 Things to do in 1001 days - my list

1. Grow and maintain my nails
2. Plan a “just us” day every month with just me and Colin
3. Have a date night at least once per month - every month
4. Remember that sometimes “good enough” is …well, good enough
5. Make a will
6. Call my grandmother out of the blue - just to tell her I love her
7. Drink more water
8. Walk instead of drive
9. Encourage Colin to learn the guitar (and not guitar hero)
10. Join a book club
11. Remember to stop and smell the roses
12. Visit my local museums
13. Finish an entire Sudoko book - wrong answers or not
14. Invite friends over for a home cooked meal - at least once a month
15. Try to find a red wine that I will actually drink
16. Learn and make 10 new recipes that my family loves
17. Take at least one “just for me” class at the local college
18. Understand football enough to make my own picks for Fantasy Football
19. Send a note by MAIL to someone I am thinking of at the moment
20. Have a neighborhood BBQ and invite the crabby lady across the street
21. Send in my application for the Women’s Crisis Center volunteer program
22. Figure out what looks best on me and not care about what size it is
23. Buy clothes for my current size, not the size I think I still fit into
24. Travel to a state that I have never been to before
25. Start a new family tradition
26. Learn all the phone numbers that are saved in my cell phone
27. Go to see a Broadway play (or other NYC show), at least once a year
28. Learn to knit or crochet
29. Write a compliment letter ever time I receive great service AND mail it
30. Go to Las Vegas
31. Pay for the toll of the person behind me - at least once a year
32. Make 2 weeks of meals in one day and freeze them
33. Go to bed late once a week just to spend more time with my husband
34. Make a complete list of birthdays of all the cousins (and their kids).
35. Call above on their birthday
36. Post on my blog at least 3 times a week
37. Go away for the weekend by myself - just a me vacation
38. Get really dressed up and invite friends over for a fancy cocktail party
39. Learn how to skip stones
40. Re-learn to make stained glass
41. Surprise someone when it is not their birthday
42. Pay cash for all purchase for a whole month
43. Take a long distance road trip
44. Invite someone from church for an after service lunch
45. Blow-dry my hair for work at least once a week
46. Send a local family in need a donation just because
47. Learn to stop rolling my eyes
48. Write a letter to let my son know how much I love him
49. Meet Colin’s step-mother

I am going to make a separate blog of this list and update it has times goes by.

I'm gonna make a list

Every year I make the same old New Year's resolutions. And just like everyone else in the world, I break them by January 15th.

This year I want to make a list - not a resolution, but a list of realistic things that I would like to do in 2008. I am sure that the list will include stuff like lose weight, but I think it might be things like "grow and mantain my nails"; "plan Just Us days for me and Colin"; stuff that can be realisticly acheived and that will make me happier.

Ok - so I have 2 (above) so I hope by the end of the year, I will have a ton.

Suggestions are welcome!

2 long posts in a row...wow

The last 2 posts were really long, so I will not bore anyone with another one.

It is a little less than a month before Christmas, and I am basically done with shopping. Not only that, but the presents are wrapped and under the tree.

I have a couple of projects that I want to do for Christmas, so I guess I have plenty of time for that now. Besides, December is so full of activities that I am not sure I would be able to find time to go shopping.

It kind of upsets me about the amount of presents for Colin. I always spend around the same amount of money on Colin. But, this year his wish list were for expensive things that come in really small packages - video games, mp3 player, etc. So, I still spent the same amount, but there are less presents.

I spoke to Colin about this. Told him that we only spend $XX and that it is possible that there may not be a lot of presents under the tree. He totally understands. I think he would rather get what he wants as opposed to a lot of stuff that he does not want.

Plus, as much as I object, he is totally spoiled by my sisters and my parents.

You will die eventually

I love my husband to DEATH apparently LOL. Before I say anything, let me remind you that we were joking around and were laughing so much!

On my way to bed last night, I kiss Frank and say " I love you". He of course replies, "I love you too"

"Good", I say, "cause you are stuck with me FOREVER" He says so lovingly, "It's OK, you will die eventually"

We laughed so much I almost peed my pants. LOL

10 Years Together

Wow, it has been 10 years since Frank and I started dating. I can't believe it. We were just some young kids when we had our first date.

I still can't believe that at 23, he was A-OK with dating a single mom of a 3 year old. He said that it never really was an issue. I find it hard to believe....but either way I was happy that he decided that I was worth a try.

I remember our first date, we went for drinks...I actually was not even sure if it was a date. We met at work a few months before and were hanging out in groups. I went out a couple of times and went to a few parties where it was a group thing and he was there.

So, when we went for drinks, I was not sure if I was going to find 5 of his friends there also. When I saw that it was just going to be us, I was excited!!!!! In the middle of the "date" I even said to him, "to be honest, I am not even sure if this is a date".....he kissed me and said "does that answer your question?" Uh, yeah, I guess so. Luckly I was into to him....or otherwise that would have been very weird LOL.

We went back to his house (well, his mom's house) and we were just hanging out, getting to know each other and he hands me a single rose, my favorite kind. So sweet.

Ten years, where does the time go?

I think I own a Funhouse Mirror

OK - I admit, I am not a skinny minny by all means. I have packed on a few (ok, more than a few) pounds in the last 2 years. I hate it. I try to eat better, exercise, etc. It just seems like nothing is working. I am going to start WW next week.....why not today, cause there is no meetings near me this week.

Anyway.... When I look in the mirror at home, I know that I am heavy. But, sometimes I think I look pretty good. My hair looks good, I don't think I look like a mac truck, and I feel OK about myself. I felt this way on Sat. I went to a company function and had a new pair of jeans on and I felt pretty good about myself.

Well, there were pictures. I hate pictures. I see these pictures and feel like I must have a funhouse mirror in my house. Those pictures DO NOT look like I felt that morning. Not only that, but there are other people that I thought were about the same size as me, well not so according to those pictures.

I am not going to post the pictures...just thinking of them makes me upset.

Plus, as much as I would like to say that everyone looks different in pictures - how could it be that everyone else looks like they do in real life. Wouldn't the same be true for me.

I am going to use these pictures as my before pictures....I will share the after.

Hot Air Balloons make me smile

I live in an area that is known for Hot Air Balloons. Basically whenever it is nice out (april - Oct) people will take the Balloons up. They even have an entire fair devoted to the balloons.

The balloons only go up at sun-up and sun-down....I don't know why, but that is how it is.

So, going home from work the past few weeks, this is all that I see. And not just one. I am talking about maybe a dozen in the sky.

It makes me smile each and every time. I am new to the area; but I do not think that I will ever get used to this. I will probably always smile when I see the balloons in the air.

Does Parallel Parking define who I am??

I remember when I just got my driver's license it was snowing really hard and I wanted to go to the mall (using my own personal car). Well, my dad basically told me that I could not go unless I was able to parallel park perfectly 25 times. Um, jerk!!

That said, I have gotten better over the years. And now I have to do it basically every day in front of my house. I have a really small car so sometimes I can squeeze right in. But, the reality is that I "Fail" most times.

On your road test, you fail the test if you hit the curb while parallel parking. I never really understood how one mistake could make you fail the entire test. Especially since it is not the norm for most people to have to parallel park every day. Is is a skill that you need at some point in your life, sure. But, you don't see me failing in life for making one small mistake...right?

Could you image if you life was considered a failure if say, you forgot a birthday, or made a typo, or couldn't figure out calculus.

Give me a break. My life is not a failure, even though I can not parallel park.

Make it Grand

Do you wonder what it means?

Well, a few years ago I started a favor business. Mostly on ebay, though. I was trying to think of a name that was not "Amy's Favors" or basically anything that had my first or last name in it. It makes is seem too "I do this out of my basement". So, my last name (well, my madien name) has the word "Grand" in it. So, this guy at work said, "why not Make it Grand"? He then also gave me the tag line of "Why have a great event, when you can Make it Grand?"

It stuck.

I still use this as my name, but now I also look at the catch phase as a personal motto. Why do something good/great if you can make it grand. It reminds me to savor everyday and live life to the fullest.

In case you are wondering, I started a little website as well. Right now it does not have any other the favors on it. I am just doing free designs for announcements/invitations/holiday cards and I started selling quilts as well.

I started to the free designs to keep me busy. It really does pass the time and make me less stressed about IF issues. The quilts are because I gave them to a "nestie" who is having triplets. Yes, triplets. 35 people from my local board went to a shower for this nestie and over 100 girls chipped in to buy her the triplet stroller.

Well, everyone at the shower loved the quilts and suggested that I sell them. Here is the Website (Make it Grand, etc)

The Tiger is blind in one eye..

Huh, the tiger is blind in one eye?

We are back from the shore. I really was a great weekend. We went to a zoo that is basically a rescue place for all types of non-domestic animals. Most have been rescued from other zoos, some from a circus, some were "pets" that got too big.

Most of the animals there had a little sign with their story. Where they came from, how they got there, etc. There was a tiger that was originally someones pet (??) and it was brought to another sanctuary. That sanctuary closed and the tiger was sent to this place. But somehow along the way, the tiger became blind in one eye. Yeah, well every animal that we saw (and I mean every animal), Colin would say "yeah, well the tiger is blind in one eye"

It became a joke. We were even saying it when it did not make any sense.

It was a great weekend. A much needed break.

13 yrs ago - my baby shower

My mom has been so nice to point out that 13 yrs ago this weekend was my baby shower. She was also so kind to point out that she thought I would have had another child by now.

Thanks mom, I have not thought about that at all.

Time has flown by so fast. Colin will be a teenager soon :(